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How new legislation could impact beer and wine sales

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Free The Hops President Gabe Harris looks for a place to hang a banner as preparations got under way for the 6th annual Magic City Brewfest presented by Free the Hops at Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham. (The Birmingham News/Jeff Roberts)

Free the Hops is a grassroots, non-profit organization whose mission is to help bring the highest quality beers in the world to Alabama.

By Nick Hudson, president of Free the Hops

Alabama has seen a number of beer-related laws passed in recent years, and the 2016 legislative session again sees alcohol-related bills on the agenda. For consumers, the proposed laws could result in the ability to buy growlers, bottles and cans of beer directly from many breweries and could pave the way for more brewpubs around the state.

The bills are meant to rewrite archaic laws that have been on the books since 1937--yes, I said 1937.

In 1937, Alabama voted to end statewide prohibition, which was repealed four years prior on a federal level. At that time, Jefferson County was the state's only county to go wet. Let's fast forward to 1992, when The Brewpub Act was passed. It moved Alabama into the modern era by allowing brewpubs to open in the state, albeit with a number of restrictions. But there was still work to be done: In 2009 the Gourmet Beer bill raised the alcohol by volume limit on beer from 6 percent to 13.9 percent. (Wine's ABV limit in Alabama is 14.9 percent.)

Then in 2011 the Brewery Modernization Act eliminated restrictions of taprooms and on-site tastings in Alabama breweries. In 2012, the Gourmet Bottle Bill increased beer container size limits to 750ml, or 25.4oz of beer.

It's obvious we've come a long way since 1937, but there are still many prohibitionist restrictions on alcohol in this great state. Last year an alcohol beverage study commission formed to examine laws surrounding the distribution system and licenses. The commission used public hearings and examples from other states to come up with recommendations, which should bring Alabama in line with other more progressive states in the union.

Proposed bills will address wine, liquor and beer separately. The beer bill was introduced Feb. 9 with bipartisan support, with Sen. Bill Holtzclaw (Republican) and Rep. Anthony Daniels (Democrat) sponsoring the bill. If passed, the bill will remove the 1992 brewpub restrictions that require breweries to be located in historic buildings or economically distressed areas and counties that were wet prior to federal Prohibition. It would also allow breweries and brewpubs to sell beer in growlers and bottles or cans, so consumers could take beer home. They would also be allowed to donate up to two kegs per charitable or nonprofit event.

While this would loosen up the laws a bit, restrictions would remain. A brewery or brewpub must produce less than 60,000 barrels (there are 31 gallons in a U.S. barrel) per year to be able to be eligible for off-premise sales. The customer would be limited to buying 288 oz., per day, per person. Alabama does not have a brewery that is producing 60,000 barrels yet, but that day will come.

With every piece of legislation passed, our state has grown its craft beer footprint tenfold. When Good People Brewing Co., the state's oldest current brewery, opened in 2008, the Alabama craft beer scene was limited. The Gourmet Beer Bill changed that. Now we have four production breweries in Birmingham with more on the way. There are multiple breweries now in Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, and others in cities across the state--with more to come. That's on top of the growth of some of the best craft beer bars in the South and some of the best places to get beer to go.

With bipartisan support in the House and Senate, support from the state beer distributors and the Alabama Brewers Guild, the bill should be a pretty quick vote. This is the Alabama legislature, though, so anything can happen. I encourage you to contact your legislators ask them to support this bill.